Chances are that if you live in a area with little or no internet connection, then you are living in a rural area. Another defining characteristic of the internet situation in these areas is that it is usually low speed. The problem is usually brought about by the fact that traditional internet service providers don’t consider the market large enough in these areas to warrant high-speed internet coverage.
Broadband internet is not very common in rural areas. Your choice of internet service providers is usually not that great. At times, the infrastructure that should offer internet connectivity is usually dated or even nonexistent. Even with the availability of internet, many people often complain about low connectivity speeds. So, rural internet can be a pain in the neck.
There are many reasons why this might be the case. In most cases, the infrastructure that would be necessary to offer good quality internet would be an unjustifiably expensive given the low concentration of potential users in rural areas. But in this day and age, sluggish connections and service outages are just unacceptable, even for rural areas.
Fortunately, there are ways around these problems. Rural high-speed internet is now a possibility, all thanks to companies that are working on providing better internet for rural areas plagued by poor quality internet. But there are many great internet connection options for folks living in rural areas today. For obvious reasons, dial-up connections are not worth considering, as their speeds usually don’t go beyond 56 kbps. Additionally, only about 3% of Americans use this internet connection method and the number is not growing. So, here are some modern rural internet connection options that should put you at par with the speeds enjoyed by those living in the cities.
Wireless Broadband Using 4G LTE Routers
You can get high-speed internet in a rural area using 4G LTE routers. Being a wireless internet connection solution, you do not have to wait until cable based internet connections finally become available in these remote locations. In any case, even if you chose to do everything you can to get cable internet, it would very expensive. Probably cost you more than you would be willing to pay.
However, with 4G wireless internet connections offered through a 4G router, you could very affordably get internet in the rural areas where high-speed internet is not typically available. When using a 4G internet connection device, you can link many devices that need this connection to the internet. Enjoy internet speeds that might even rival some internet connection speeds of systems used in urban areas.
For instance, some 4G LTE internet connections can reach burst speeds of 150 Mbps, which is pretty good, even for an urban area with very good quality connections. Setting up this router also tends to be pretty easy. Also some device options will come with great additional features as well. Including things like VPN for safe browsing. You can purchase a good quality broadband router online and start enjoying high-quality internet even in rural areas.
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What You Need For Setting Up 4G LTE Router
Things you need:
- 4G LTE router. I will provide a list of LTE routers below.
- Data line from mobile LTE carrier. I will provide a list of carriers below.
- Sim provided for data line by mobile LTE carrier.
You will need to a mobile phone service provider, such as T-Mobile and ask for a data line and a sim for the line/phone number. The number really isn’t too important because you will only use this line for connecting to the internet. Once you have everything, take the sim and place it in the router. Then follow the directions provided by your routers manufacture. Every router is different so make sure to pay close attention to the instructions.
List of 4G LTE Router:
List of 4G LTE mobile data line providers:
Mobile Broadband Hot Spots
These days, cell coverage has grown a great deal. Chances are you will still have a pretty good connection even when in rural and remote places. There are many companies that have entered the mobile broadband space. With these services, you can easily connect to good quality internet through a mobile network.
The speeds might not be crazy enough to match those of wireless 4G routers, but they should be pretty good. At least enough to help you do anything you like online. Specifically, you can look forward to speeds of between 5Mbps to 12Mbps.
You can use a hotspot device usually provided by the mobile carrier, or you can buy your own. Mobile broadband service combined with the 4G LTE router mentioned above is my preferred method. This combination will give you the best control over configuration to fine tune your setup for best performance. However, users often go with the hotspot provided by carrier for the easy of use. This kind of connection is great as it keeps you online even when you walk away from home, as you cannot take a satellite connection wherever you go. Luckily, there are other ways to get online while living in rural areas, especially through satellite internet solutions.
Satellite Internet Solutions
Gone are the days when satellite internet was prohibitively expensive. Many people simply had to resign themselves to the fate of having to suffer through terrible internet connections because they could not afford satellite internet. That, fortunately, is no longer the case.
Wherever you are, you can now pay and get satellite internet that lets you enjoy doing all your favorite things online. It does not matter if you want to watch videos, stream music, video chat, or even play online video games. The good thing about good satellite internet connections is that you will not have to worry as much about poor internet connections. As these devices offer stable and high-speed connections that will give you a truly remarkable internet use experience.
With satellite internet, you can also create a Wi-Fi network that allows you to connect the devices in your home to the internet. Whether they be computers, phones and so forth. Many argue that satellite internet is the best solution for rural areas, and for the most part, this is true. The satellite orbiting the globe will connect directly to your satellite dish. You can enjoy the speeds anyone in the world would enjoy, regardless of whether they are living in the city or in rural areas. There are even devices you can use to extend the reach of your satellite internet connection through Wi-Fi. These are available online. Read more here.
Cable Internet
This one is probably obvious for some, but lets go over it for those who aren’t aware. Cable companies that provide television services can also provide high-speed internet to many homes. Some offer telephone services as well. These connections tend to be quite good as well. They will often rival traditional options like dial-up connections that rural areas have been stuck with in the past.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
Most rural residential or commercial buildings are already wired for phone service. If that’s the case then DSL is a good option. It is priced about the same as the other internet services mentioned above, but the speeds aren’t as good. The speeds may measure up to the same as the 4G LTE connection. The advantage is that it is hardwired and you wont have to worry about signal quality. Contact your phone service provider and ask to add DSL internet to your service.
Dial-up Connections
This is for worst case scenarios. I would avoid it at all cost. It is extremely slow, and can be extremely annoying. If internet is essential and all other options have been explored without a solution, then this would be the answer. Most buildings or homes have a phone line already, no matter how secluded. If there is phone service, call the phone company and ask to add dial up internet.
You will need some equipment, like a dial-up modem to make the connection.
Conclusion
Even if you are living in rural areas, good quality internet is something you can get. People no longer have to put up with poor connection speeds simply because they are miles away from modern cities and are instead located in remote coasts, the woods, in deserts or in the mountains.
While there many compelling arguments why poor internet connections are still common in rural areas. There are also plenty of solutions currently available to people who still want to enjoy good quality and high-speed internet even while in the rural areas. Above are some of the available options. So, it no longer matters how remote of an area you are living in. You can still get good quality internet just like city folk.
Once You Have Internet At Your Rural Location
After internet service has been established at your location there is a good possibility you may want to distribute it throughout your property. For example a far isolated location where you may also need internet, such as a barn or building. Take a look at this article – Long Range WiFi Coverage. It will help distribute the internet using WiFi to these far locations. It will also explain on how to provide internet coverage over an extremely large area.